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AD&D Rules FAQ
for every CRPG based on the 2nd Edition AD&D ruleset:
Baldur's Gate Gateway to the Savage Frontier
Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn Hillsfar
Champions of Krynn Icewind Dale
Curse of the Azure Bonds Menzoberranzen
Dark Queen of Krynn Planescape: Torment
Death Knights of Krynn Pool of Radiance
Descent to Undermountain Pools of Darkness
Dungeon Hack Secret of the Silver Blades
Eye of the Beholder Treasures of the Savage Frontier
Eye of the Beholder 2 Warriors of the Eternal Sun (Genesis)
Eye of the Beholder 3
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January 17, 2005
Version 4.41
Written by: Dan Simpson
Email: dsimpson.faqs@gmail.com
Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You will find the most up to date version of this FAQ at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/
http://www.gamewinners.com/
Having written a number of FAQs for AD&D games (Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II
Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment), I often get questions on the basics of
the ruleset. What is THAC0? What is AC? How does magic work? Since I've
done so many different AD&D games, I didn't want to duplicate information in
each one, and so I have created this file. So the purpose of this document is
to explain these concepts to people who aren't familiar with the AD&D ruleset.
3rd Edition Note: This document works mostly for the 2nd Edition ruleset.
There are several upcoming 3rd Edition rules games -- namely
Neverwinter Nights and Pool of Radiance II: Ruins of Myth
Drannor. These are not covered in this FAQ. And in case
you are curious, as of the 3rd Edition the "Advanced" in
AD&D is being dropped. Why? The "basic" D&D is out of
print, so there was nothing for AD&D to be "advanced" from.
I also have a 3rd Edition D&D FAQ at GameFAQs.
This document is divided up into a series of Articles, such as the first which
is "Thac0 and Armor Class (AC)".
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___________________
What's New in 4.41:
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Changed email addresses. Small changes to the format.
A complete version history can be found in the Final Words... section at the
end of the FAQ.
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Table of Contents
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Articles
Ĝ. Basic Concepts
1. THAC0 and Armor Class (AC)
2. Magic
3. Levels
4. Multiclassing and Dual Classing
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Words...
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Article Ĝ: Basic Concepts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dice = Everyone knows what dice are. The most recognized form of dice is the
"D6" or the six sided die. If you find a weapon that deals out 3d6
worth of Damage, then that means the weapon uses 3 six sided dice for
a Damage Range of 3 to 18.
+,- = Throughout AD&D there are modifiers in both the positive and negative
directions. Any + modifier improves a stat, any - modifier degrades
a stat. Why is this distinction important? Some stats are improved
by decreasing their number, THAC0 for instance. If you find a +2
Sword, it improves your THAC0 by 2, which is actually a decrease in
the overall THAC0 number. If you had started with 20 you would get
18.
Encumberance = The weight that your character is currently holding.
Depending on how strong she is, she will be able to carry more things.
In AD&D when you carry close to your limit, you will move slower, and
if you go over your limit, you won't be able to move at all. In
Baldur's Gate, you get the message "Encumbered - Cannnot move."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article 1: THAC0 and Armor Class (AC)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THAC0 = "To Hit Armor Class 0", of a 20 sided dice the number needed to hit
an enemy with an AC of 0. For example, if the THAC0 is 19, a roll of
19 or higher is needed to hit an enemy with an AC of 0. A roll of
1 is always a miss, and a roll of 20 is always a hit, called
CRITICAL MISS and CRITICAL HIT respectively.
AC = Armor Class, roughly how difficult a figure is to hit. AC starts
with a base score of 10 and is improved by lowering the number.
Therefore a 0 AC is better than a 10, and a -10 is better still.
These two things are what determines when a hit (that scores damage) is made.
THAC0 is the offensive end of the roll, and AC is the defensive end of the
roll.
A successful hit is decided when the random roll is greater than the
attacker's THAC0 - enemy AC. If a 15 THAC0 Fighter attacks a 0 AC
goblin then you must roll 15 or greater. (The game itself usually does the
rolling for you, but it still follows these mechanics) Remember that a roll
of 20 will always hit. So, even if the goblin's AC was -400, if you roll a
20 you will still hit it. If the goblin has 10 AC then you need only roll a
5 or better, etc. (THAC0 - EnemyAC = 15 - 10 = 5)
Note: Just because you hit, that doesn't mean you'll deal damage. There is
the concept in second edition D&D of weapon immunities. Some monsters
require a certain type of weapon to be hit. Also, wizards can cast
spells such as "Protection from Magic Weapons" which makes them
temporarily immune to magic weapons. Baldur's Gate represents this by
having characters say "my weapon is useless" or something similar.
THAC0 Explained:
----------------
THAC0 defaults at 20 and is gradually lowered when levels are gained.
Depending on the class (i.e. Fighter, Cleric, Mage) of the person involved
the THAC0 will decrease at different rates. For a Fighter (or Ranger, or
Paladin) THAC0 decreases by a score of 1 per level. A level 1 Fighter
starts at 20 THAC0, but by level 10 he is at 11. (He has gained 9 levels,
and so loses 9 THAC0) The lower the THAC0 the better, and there is no
limit to how low it can go.
THAC0 Progression by Level & Class Chart:
Level
Group 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
----- --------------------------------------------------------------
Warrior 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
Wizard 20 20 20 19 19 19 18 18 18 17 17 17 16 16 16 15
Priest 20 20 20 18 18 18 16 16 16 14 14 14 12 12 12 10
Rogue 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 13 13
Patterns
--------
Warrior 1 every level
Wizard 1 every 3 levels
Priest 2 every 3 levels
Rogue 1 every 2 levels
At this point we're still just referring to RAW THAC0, there are still
several things that modify it before it is used. There are, in fact, four
main things that modify THAC0 from here: Strength, Weapon, Special
Effects, and Proficiency. A super low strength score will raise your THAC0
(which is bad), while super high Strengths will lower your THAC0 (which is
good).
STRENGTH as a THAC0 modifier
STR THAC0 Adj. STR THAC0 Adj.
3 -3 17 +1
4 -2 18 +1
5 -2 18/01-50 +1
6 -1 18/51-75 +2
7 -1 18/76-90 +2
8 0 18/91-99 +2
9 0 18/00 +3
10 0 19 +3
11 0 20 +3
12 0 21 +4
13 0 22 +4
14 0 23 +5
15 0 24 +6
16 0 25 +7
Notice how any improvement in THAC0 is denoted by a +3 or a +4, while in
fact these numbers are how much your THAC0 is DECREASED. A level 1 Fighter
has 20 THAC0, but if he has 18/00 STR, his THAC0 is decreased to 17.
The weapon used also has an effect on THAC0, both by the weapon itself and
also through Proficiency (although Proficiency is an optional rule, and
of the games listed at the top, only Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment,
Icewind Dale, and Baldur's Gate II follow this rule). Generally speaking,
the amount the THAC0 is changed is the number after the +. A Long Sword +1
would improve THAC0 by 1 point. There are exceptions to this, some weapons
won't have a + but improve THAC0 anyway, and some will say +1, but will in
fact improve THAC0 more than 1 point. In these cases, checking that items
information will reveal how it modifies THAC0 (only available in some
games).
Note: To check the item information in BG1, BG2 and IWD, right click the
item in the inventory screen. Also note that magical items are very
often "NOT IDENTIFIED." Meaning that you won't know what they do
until they are IDENTIFIED. See the FAQ below.
Special Effects can be either a spell that improves THAC0 (Bless, for
instance), or an Item that improves THAC0, but isn't a weapon, such as an
Amulet of Thac0 +1.
Proficiency was introduced to show what your character is skilled in, or
not skilled in. It has only really been used since Baldur's Gate in 1998.
Since proficiency represents your character's knowledge of the weapon being
used, using a weapon that you don't have proficiency in will result in a
penalty to THAC0 and to Damage.
PROFICIENCY as a THAC0 Modifier: (Baldur's Gate I & II, Icewind Dale,
Planescape: Torment only)
Level of Proficiency Points Spent Bonus to Hit
Non-Proficient 0 -2 (Warrior)
-5 (Wizard)
-3 (Priest or Rogue)
Proficient 1 0 (but there is no penalty)
Specialized 2 +1
Master 3 +3
High Master 4 +3
Grand Master 5 +3
As you can see, a Wizard using a weapon that he isn't proficient in will
result in a steep penalty, so he could have 20 THAC0, but because he is
using the wrong weapon his THAC0 leaps up to 25.
Dexterity Note: Dexterity has one small effect on THAC0, but only towards
the use of MISSILE WEAPONS (bows, crossbows, etc.). At
a DEX of 16 you get a +1 to hit, 17 & 18 +2, and 19 +3.
Armor Class Explained:
----------------------
Armor Class isn't really about armor. It is the composite of Armor and
Dexterity that determines how hard it is for a damaging hit to be made.
The base Armor Class (AC) is 10. Anything lower is better and makes your
character harder to hit. It does NOT reduce the amount of damage taken.
The first facet of Armor Class is your Dexterity Score. The higher the
Dexterity, the lower (better) your Armor Class. This reflects your
character's ability to dodge attacks. So, here, negative numbers are
better.
DEXTERITY as an Armor Class Modifier
DEX AC Adj. DEX AC Adj.
3 +4 14 0
4 +3 15 -1
5 +2 16 -2
6 +1 17 -3
7 0 18 -4
8 0 19 -4
9 0 20 -4
10 0 21 -5
11 0 22 -5
12 0 23 -5
13 0 24 -6
25 -6
Whether you are on level 1 or level 20 your AC is still determined by the
same two factors, DEX and Armor. So, a level 1 Fighter with a Dex of 18
would have an AC of 6 (before putting any armor on, BASE AC(10) +
DEX ADJ.(-4) = AC). A level 20 fighter who has no armor would have the
same AC with the same DEX.
Which brings us to the BULK of where AC is made up, Armor. We will divide
armor into two categories, actual Armor (such as Plate Mail Armor) and
support Items (such as Ring of Protection +1).
Armor usually lists what your AC will be based from the Base AC itself.
So Leather Armor will list its AC as AC 8. What this means is that if you
had the base AC of 10, wearing Leather Armor will decrease your AC to 8.
If you do NOT have the Base AC (and who does), it still decreases your AC
by 2 points. If we wanted to determine the AC of our 18 DEX Fighter
wearing Leather Armor we would need to take the Leather Armor AC(8) +
Dexterity Bonus(-4) to get 4. In this way you can think of your Armor's
AC as REPLACING your Base AC. So instead of starting at 10, with Leather
Armor you would start at 8.
Armor as an AC modifier (not all armors are in all games)
Armor AC
Leather Armor 8
Studded Leather 7
Hide Armor 6
Scale Mail 6
Brigandine Armor 6
Chain Mail 5
Ring Mail 5
Elven Chainmail 5
Drow Chainmail 4
Banded/Splint Mail 4
Plate Mail 3
Field Plate 2
Full Plate 1
If an armor is said to be +1, or +2 that means that the armor has an extra
special bonus attached that further lowers AC by that number. So a Chain
Mail +4 would have an AC score of 1 rather than 5.
In addition to your Armor, AC is also determined by special items being
worn by the character. The most common special item is the common shield
which improves AC by one point (our 4 AC, 18 DEX Leather Armor Fighter
would then drop to 3 AC with a Shield). There are various varieties of
shields, but they all do the same job. Other items would be Rings of
Protection or Cloaks of Protection. These all improve the AC of the
wearer.
Note: Some games (Baldur's Gate, for example) allow only ONE extra
protective item (not counting shields) to be worn at a time. This
includes Magic Armors. So, if you wore a Chainmail +1, you
couldn't wear a Ring of Protection +1. Or, if you had that
Ring of Protection +1 you couldn't wear the Cloak of
Protection +1.
Magic can also function as armor, however, it usually acts in place of
armor rather than as a bonus to it. Take the spell "Armor" or "Shield" for
example. They set your AC to 6 and 4, respectively, but if you're wearing
armor better than either, you get no extra benefit. There are some spells
that provide a simple bonus, such as Defensive Harmony (BG1, BG2, IWD), so
check spell descriptions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article 2: Magic
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Magic System used in AD&D is different from almost every other magic
system out there. For one thing, there is no "Mana" system, or anything
similar that most games run on. So, how does Magic work in the AD&D games?
First, magic is divided into two main categories, MAGIC-USER and PRIEST.
This is an important distinction as there are some subtle and some
not-so-subtle differences between the two.
Who Casts Which Magic
Magic User Priest
---------- -------
Mage Cleric
Bard Paladin (at experience level 9)
Sorcerer Ranger (at experience level 8)
Druid
Separate from your EXPERIENCE LEVEL is your spellcaster's SPELL LEVEL. This
is an important distinction that a lot of novices miss. A level 6 mage
CANNOT cast level 6 spells. In fact, a mage can't cast level 6 spells until
he has reached EXPERIENCE LEVEL 12. There are 9 Wizard SPELL LEVELS but
only 7 Priest SPELL LEVELS. However, when a spell says that it becomes more
powerful "for every 3 levels of the caster" it is referring to EXPERIENCE
LEVELS rather than SPELL LEVELS. It's easiest to remember that you gain a
SPELL LEVEL at every other EXPERIENCE LEVEL. So a mage starts at level 1,
and can cast level 1 spells, at level 2, still just level 1 spells, but level
3, he gains abilities in the 2nd level spells.
How powerful a spellcaster you are depends on the class of the magic-user or
priest and on the stats as well. The Mage, Druid and Cleric are the only
classes who can learn all spell levels. Druids and Clerics can only cast
the 6th and 7th level spells if they have wisdoms of at least 17 or 18
respectively. (7th level is as far as Priest spells go)
Spell Level Limit
Mage * Depends on Intelligence, see Intelligence Chart below *
Bard 6
Ranger 3
Paladin 4
This way a Bard can learn up to 6th level wizard spells, and a Ranger can
learn up to 3rd, but no farther. You won't find Bards casting level 7 spells
as it can't happen.
Now that we understand who can do what, let's talk about how magic works
more specifically. There are three steps towards casting a spell (depending
on the game).
1. Add a spell to spellbook. Priests do this automatically and know every
spell for their spell level. Mages need to find a spell scroll and
scribe that spell into their spell book. Since Mages have to actually
find a scroll and scribe it in, there is a chance that they might fail,
which is based on their intelligence. (Clerics already know all spells
so they can't fail) There is an intelligence chart later in this
article. Mages are further limited by the number of spells they can
learn per spell level, again this relates to intelligence.
2. Memorize the spell. Once the spell is in your spellbook, you need to
decide which spells you want to "memorize". Only spells that you have
memorized can be cast, and they can only be cast once per memorization.
So if you memorize one Magic Missile, then you can cast one Magic
Missile. The number of spells that you can memorize per spell level
are listed below. The memorization process usually involves Resting for
a set amount of time. Baldur's Gate does this through the spellbook
(w) and the priest scroll (p) interfaces. Empty boxes represent spell
slots that are available on the left, with known spells on the right.
3. And then you can actually cast the spell. Again, you only get to cast
a memorized spell once before needing Rest to rememorize it. If you
memorized a spell more than once (and you can memorize one spell as
many times as you have free slots), you can cast it as many times as it
was memorized.
Spell Progression Charts by Class
CLERIC / DRUID
Spell Levels ----> 1 2 3 4 5 6* 7**
Exp. Level
1 1 - - - - - -
2 2 - - - - - -
3 2 1 - - - - -
4 3 2 - - - - -
5 3 3 1 - - - -
6 3 3 2 - - - -
7 3 3 2 1 - - -
8 3 3 3 2 - - -
9 4 4 3 2 1 - -
10 4 4 3 2 2 - -
11 5 4 4 3 2 1 -
12 6 5 5 3 2 2 -
13 6 6 6 4 2 2 -
14 6 6 6 5 3 2 1
15 6 6 6 6 4 2 1
16 7 7 7 6 4 3 1
17 7 7 7 7 5 3 2
18 8 8 8 8 6 4 2
19 9 9 8 8 6 4 2
20 9 9 9 8 7 5 2
* Use of 6th level spells requires a WIS of 17 or greater
** Use of 7th level spells requires a WIS of 18 or greater
PALADIN
Spell Levels ----> 1 2 3 4
Exp. Level Casting Level*
9 1 1 - - -
10 2 2 - - -
11 3 2 1 - -
12 4 2 2 - -
13 5 2 2 1 -
14 6 3 2 1 -
15 7 3 2 1 1
16 8 3 3 2 1
17 9 3 3 3 1
18 9 3 3 3 1
19 9 3 3 3 2
20 9 3 3 3 3
* Casting Level is the effective EXPERIENCE LEVEL the Paladin is for
purposes of spellcasting. If a spell is more powerful for higher
EXP LEVELS, this is the level they're referring to, not his actual
EXP LEVEL. Because of this, Paladins make poor spellcasters.
RANGER
Spell Levels ----> 1 2 3
Exp. Level Casting Level*
9 1 1 - -
10 2 2 - -
11 3 2 1 -
12 4 2 2 -
13 5 2 2 1
14 6 3 2 1
15 7 3 2 2
16 8 3 3 3
* Casting Level is the effective EXPERIENCE LEVEL the Ranger is for
purposes of spellcasting. If a spell is more powerful for higher
EXP LEVELS, this is the level they're referring to, not his actual
EXP LEVEL.
MAGE
Spell Levels ----> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Exp. Level
1 1 - - - - - - - -
2 2 - - - - - - - -
3 2 1 - - - - - - -
4 3 2 - - - - - - -
5 4 2 1 - - - - - -
6 4 2 2 - - - - - -
7 4 3 2 1 - - - - -
8 4 3 3 2 - - - - -
9 4 3 3 2 1 - - - -
10 4 4 3 2 2 - - - -
11 4 4 4 3 3 - - - -
12 4 4 4 4 4 1 - - -
13 5 5 5 4 4 2 - - -
14 5 5 5 4 4 2 1 - -
15 5 5 5 5 5 2 1 - -
16 5 5 5 5 5 3 2 1 -
17 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 2 -
18 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 2 1
19 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 3 1
20 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 3 2
BARD
Spell Levels ----> 1 2 3 4 5 6
Exp. Level
1 - - - - - -
2 1 - - - - -
3 2 - - - - -
4 2 1 - - - -
5 3 1 - - - -
6 3 2 - - - -
7 3 2 1 - - -
8 3 3 1 - - -
9 3 3 2 - - -
10 3 3 2 1 - -
11 3 3 3 1 - -
12 3 3 3 2 - -
13 3 3 3 2 1 -
14 3 3 3 3 1 -
15 3 3 3 3 2 -
16 4 3 3 3 2 1
17 4 4 3 3 3 1
18 4 4 4 3 3 2
19 4 4 4 4 3 2
20 4 4 4 4 4 3
The final concept that we'll deal with here are the Stat bonuses as they
relate to spellcasting. The two stats in question are, of course, WISDOM and
INTELLIGENCE. Only Priests gain extra casting spells per level (the number
of spells which can be memorized and cast), however Mages are very dependent
upon Intelligence for other things, such as % to scribe a spell into their
spellbook and how many spells they can know per spell level. A lot of games
don't deal with some of these stats.
Intelligence as it relates to Mages
Intelligence Max Spell Level % to Learn Spell # Spells / Level
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8 -- can't cast magic at these levels --
9 4th 35% 6
10 5th 40 7
11 5th 45 7
12 6th 50 7
13 6th 55 9
14 7th 60 9
15 7th 65 11
16 8th 70 11
17 8th 75 14
18 9th 85 18
19 9th 95 All
20 9th 96 All
21 9th 97 All
22 9th 98 All
23 9th 99 All
24 9th 100 All
25 9th 100 All
So a Mage with only 17 INT can't learn 9th level spells, has a 75% chance to
copy a scroll into his spellbook, and can only learn 14 spells per level
anyway. Thus we see why having an 18 INT mage is important.
Wisdom as it relates to Priests
Wisdom Bonus Spells % Spell Failure
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8 -- can't cast spells at this level --
9 0 20
10 0 15
11 0 10
12 0 5
13 +1 1st level 0
14 +1 1st level 0
15 +1 2nd level 0
16 +1 2nd level 0
17 +1 3rd level 0
18 +1 4th level 0
19 +1 1st & +1 4th 0
20 +1 2nd & +1 4th 0
21 +1 3rd & +1 5th 0
22 +1 4th & +1 5th 0
23 +2 5th 0
24 +2 6th 0
25 +1 6th & +1 7th
Note: Bonus spells are cumulative, so an 18 WIS cleric would get +2 1st
level, +2 2nd level, +1 3rd level and +1 4th level spells. While a
13 WIS cleric would get only +1 1st level.
Also Note: Paladins and Rangers don't get Bonus Spells.
Final Note: If you, or any spellcaster, is hit while casting their spell,
the spell is interrupted and won't be cast.
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Article 3: Levels
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With the proliferation of less "realistic" RPG levelling systems, I am often
asked why your stats never improve when you gain levels, and what levels
do gain you; which is what this article is all about. (of course, it didn't
help that Torment DID give you stat increases)
Basically, there are three things that levels improve: Hit Points, THAC0, and
Saving Throws. (There are other "secondary" effects of higher levels, such as
more powerful magics, but that isn't necessary to understand the basics here)
Hit Points gained per level:
level Fighters Priests Rogues Wizards
-----------------------------------------------
1 to 9 10 8 6 4
10+ 3 2 2 1
You gain most of your character's HP during the first 9 levels. A Fighter
with average Constitution will gain 10 HP a level, and so could be a level
9 fighter with 90 HP (assuming that you got max HP each level). The number
of HP you get is usually random. Meaning you can get anywhere from 1 to
your classes max (in the Fighters case, he would gain between 1 - 10 HP a
level).
Also for the first 9 levels you will also gain a Constitution bonus to your
HP.
Constitution HP Bonuses:
CON HP Adj. CON HP Adj.
3 -1 15 +1
4 -1 16 +2
5 -1 17 +2 (+3)
6 0 18 +2 (+4)
7 0 19 +2 (+5)
8 0 20 +2 (+5)
9 0 21 +2 (+6)
10 0 22 +2 (+6)
11 0 23 +2 (+6)
12 0 24 +2 (+7)
13 0 25 +2 (+7)
14 0
Only Fighters/Paladins/Rangers gain the CON bonus in the parenthesis.
Because of this, only these classes need a CON score above 16.
So, a Fighter with 18 CON (the best a Human can get) COULD gain 14 HP a
level. (the range would be 5-14)
Finally there are Saving Throws. Saving Throws represent your character's
ability to avoid various effects, such as a Death Spell. If he has good
enough Saving Throws (and makes the random roll) then he can survive the
spell. These also improve as you go up in level, with the lower scores being
better (just like golf).
Saving Throws per Level:
Para/Pois/ Petrification/ Breath
Class Level Death Wand Polymorph Weapon Spell
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priest 1 to 3 10 14 13 16 15
4-6 9 13 12 15 14
7-9 7 11 10 13 12
10-12 6 10 9 12 11
13-15 5 9 8 11 10
16-18 4 8 7 10 9
19+ 2 6 5 8 7
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rogues 1-4 13 14 12 16 15
5-8 12 12 11 15 13
9-12 11 10 10 14 11
13-16 10 8 9 13 9
17-20 9 6 8 12 7
21+ 8 4 7 11 5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warriors 1-2 14 16 15 17 17
3-4 13 15 14 16 16
5-6 11 13 12 13 14
7-8 10 12 11 12 13
9-10 8 10 9 9 11
11-12 7 9 8 8 10
13-14 5 7 6 5 8
15-16 4 6 5 4 7
17+ 3 5 4 4 6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wizards 1-5 14 11 13 15 12
6-10 13 9 11 13 10
11-15 11 7 9 11 8
16-20 10 5 7 9 6
21+ 8 3 5 7 4
Items can also improve Saving Throws. A Ring of Protection +1 adds both a +1
to AC and Saves. At higher levels, saving throws become much more important
than AC as monsters will use many spells and supernatural abilities against
you.
Note: Saving throws are better when they're lower, and can even go into
the negatives. However, the random roll is still 1 to 20. Thus,
someone with a -2 Save vs. Death should always make that save,
although some spells will state that all saves against that spell
are made at a penalty.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article 4: Multiclassing and Dual Classing
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Normally the 2nd Edition AD&D rules allows for 8 character classes:
Paladin*
Bard*
Fighter
Ranger
Druid
Cleric
Mage
Thief
* Cannot be multi/dual classed
Not all of these classes will be in all games. There are also combinations
of these classes called, Multiclasses, where one person can be two or three
classes at once. Humans cannot multiclass, they can only Dual class.
Which multiclass you can be depends on the race of your character.
Races and Multiclasses:
-----------------------
Dwarf Halfling
----- --------
Fighter/Thief Fighter/Thief
Fighter/Cleric
Half-Elf
Elf --------
--- Fighter/Cleric
Fighter/Mage Fighter/Thief
Fighter/Thief Fighter/Druid**
Mage/Thief Fighter/Mage
Fighter/Mage/Thief Cleric/Ranger
Cleric/Mage
Gnome Thief/Mage
----- Fighter/Mage/Cleric
Fighter/Cleric Fighter/Mage/Thief
Fighter/Illusionist*
Fighter/Thief
Cleric/Illusionist*
Cleric/Thief
Illusionist/Thief*
*Illusionists are not in all games, this could be considered "mage"
**Druids are not in all games
As you can see, Half-Elves are the most versatile of all races when it comes
to multiclassing.
Experience for the multiclassed character is divided evenly among his
various classes. If a Fighter/Thief gains 1000 experience from killing an
evil Halfling of Doom, then his Fighter half gains 500 experience and his
Thief half gains 500 experience. Thusly, the multiclassed character usually
levels up at half the speed of "plain" characters. This does not mean that
this multi- character will be half the levels, he usually is only a couple
levels behind.
Hitpoints are handled similarly. When the Fighter/Thief gains a Fighter
level, he gains 1/2 the normal Fighter HP. Fighters normally get 10 HP per
level, and the Fighter/Thief would gain 5 HP max for a Fighter level and 3
for the Thief level. Constitution bonuses are handled in one of two ways:
1) You get the bonus once per number level. So, our Fighter/Thief would
get the CON bonus when his Thief level goes up as that levels up faster.
2) The CON bonus is divided by your number of classes and you get one part
per each class' level. If you were a Fighter/Thief you would still get
the extra CON for warriors.
Dual classing is the Human answer to Multiclassing. At level 2 or higher,
the human can decide to switch to a new class. Then for a time he will be
JUST that class until his new class exceeds the level of his old class. At
that point your old classes' abilities return and you become similar to a
Multiclass... except that you are only levelling one class now, rather than
dividing your exp amongst classes.
Note: As far as I know, only the Baldur's Gate/Infinity Engine games have
implemented Dual Classing. Bryan A. Keith mentions that some of
the later Gold Box games implemented Dual Classing (Curse and
beyond).
There are several conditions to Dual Classing:
1) You MUST be Human.
2) You MUST be at least level 2.
3) You MUST start from a Class that can dual. Paladins/Bards cannot Dual
to anything, nor can you dual anyone to a Bard/Paladin.
4) The combination MUST be a valid "Multiclass." If you can't find it
on the list above (ignore the race restrictions), then you can't dual
it. An example of an ILLEGAL class would be a Fighter/Ranger. Not
a valid Multiclass, so you can't Dual it either.
5) You need to have sufficient Stats. You need at least 15 in the Prime
Stats of your current class (i.e. 15 STR for a Fighter) and at least
17 in the Prime Stats of your desired class (i.e. 17 INT for a Mage).
Note: Specialist Mages have an extra "Prime Stat" beyond just INT.
6) Finally there is also an Alignment Requirement. Thieves cannot be
Lawful, so a Lawful Good Fighter cannot Dual to a Thief. Also Druids
must be True Neutral.
So, a level 2, Neutral Good Fighter with 15 STR and 17 DEX can dual to a
Thief. While a level 2, Neutral Good Thief with 15 STR and 17 DEX can't
dual to fighter. (he would need 17 STR and 15 DEX) When the first
hypothetical character gained level 3 as a Thief, he would become a
true Fighter/Thief, however he would only gain Thief levels.
Note: It doesn't matter which order you go from. You can start out as a
Thief and dual to a Fighter, or a Fighter to a Thief. It amounts
to the same thing. Which way you do it only affects which class
will continue to gain experience.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What is a CRPG?
A: Computer Role Playing Game.
Q: Aren't there other AD&D games that you didn't mention in your list? What
about the Dragonlance games?
A: I am completely unfamiliar with those games to be able to say how they
implemented the rules. They might not even be based on the AD&D ruleset
for all I know.
Q: Why don't my stats improve when I get a level?
A: Stats such as Strength and Dexterity are considered "set" when you start
your adventure. Other stats such as HP and THAC0 improve as you go up
in level. This is a more realistic (though I use that term loosely)
system than most of the others out there in which your stats improve
upon every level up. Killing monsters doesn't make you stronger,
smarter, or faster, it merely gives the experience allowing you to kill
monsters easier.
Q: I have a magic item, but I don't know what it does? How can I get it
IDENTIFIED?
A: Three ways:
1.) Lore. (At least in BG1, IWD1, BG2 and PST) All characters have a
certain Lore skill that is based on class/levels and int/wis. Bards
get the most while fighters get the least. Every item has a lore
value. (which you don't know) If your character's Lore is equal to
the item's Lore, the item is identified for free. (usually done with
a right-click in the inventory screen)
2.) The Identify spell. In Baldur's Gate, right click the item, click
Identify, and by Scroll (if you have one) or by Spell (if you have it
memorized). Only done by wizards.
3.) At stores. The most common way in all games, all stores will IDENTIFY
items for you for a fee.
Q: I'm stuck in [game], where is the [whatever]?
A: Of the games listed, I have made only 5 walkthroughs, Dungeon Hack,
Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate II and Planescape: Torment.
If your question isn't about one of those games, and has nothing to do
with the general rules system, don't ask.
Q: In [game] the rules are different than you say here. What gives?
A: Not every game has all the rules, and often they change them to fit
within the confines of their game better. These are the 2nd Edition
AD&D Rules. Whether the game makers adhered to these rules is another
matter.
Q: Where can I get any of these old games, like Dungeon Hack or Pool of
Radiance?
A: Try the Interplay Forgotten Realms Archives Silver Edition. I can't
find any place online to buy this, but it might pop up on eBay or
another auction site.
Just don't expect Baldur's Gate style action, these games are quite
primitive.
I do not know where you could get any of the other games.
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Final Words...
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This FAQ was written entirely using the GWD Text Editor: (shareware)
http://www.gwdsoft.com/
_________________________
Special Thanks: (Credits)
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Poromenos who pointed out that I said Paladin when I should say Ranger
Jopezu for pointing out a THAC0/AC error
Leo Wang for some pointers
Edward Lacey for pointing out Dexterity as a THAC0 modifier
CJayC for posting this FAQ
Anyone who emails me with nice things to say, you are appreciated!
_________________________
Shameless Self Promotion:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
I am Dan Simpson (dsimpson.faqs@gmail.com) and have also written FAQs for:
NES: Disney Adventures in the Magic Kingdom
Final Fantasy -- Magic FAQ
The Legend of Zelda
SNES: Aerobiz
Aerobiz Supersonic
Utopia: Creation of a Nation
Genesis: StarFlight
PSX: Thousand Arms -- Walkthrough
-- Forging/Dating FAQ
PS2: Madden NFL 2001
XBOX: Star Wars: KotOR II: The Sith Lords -- FAQ/Walkthrough
-- Influence Guide
PC: AD&D Rules FAQ, 2nd and 3rd Editions
Baldur's Gate & Tales of the Sword Coast -- FAQ/Walkthrough
NPC List
Creature List
Baldur's Gate II & Throne of Bhaal -- FAQ/Walkthrough
-- Items List
-- Class FAQ
-- Creature List
Civilization III (incomplete)
Colonization -- the Single Colony Strategy Guide
-- the Cheat Guide
Drakan: Order of the Flame
Dungeon Hack
Icewind Dale & Heart of Winter -- FAQ/Walkthrough
Items List
Kresselack's Tomb Map (JPG)
Burial Isle Map (JPG)
Shattered Hand Map (JPG)
Icewind Dale II -- Items List
Master of Magic (revision)
Messiah
Pharaoh (currently being edited by Red Phoenix)
Planescape: Torment -- FAQ/Walkthrough
Items Listing
Rollercoaster Tycoon
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
The Sims
Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar
Ultima 7: The Black Gate
Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle
Ultima Underworld -- Keyboard Commands
Ultima Underworld II -- Keyboard Commands
-- Spell List
All of my FAQs can be found at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/2203.html
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
________________
Version History:
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Version 1.0 August 15, 2000 19k
Version 2.0 August 17, 2000 33k
Added the Magic Article.
Version 2.1 August 20, 2000 34k
Added a Dexterity Note to the Article on THAC0, and some other small
changes.
Version 3.0 October 26, 2000 39k
Filled in the Levels article. Other small updates.
Version 4.0 November 26, 2000 44k
Filled in the Multi/Dual Classing article. So, barring questions, this
guide is finished.
Version 4.1 May 31, 2001 45k
Corrected a small mistake in the THAC0/AC section. (thanks to Jopezu)
Version 4.2 June 18, 2001 45k
Corrected a mistake (with thanks to Poromenos).
Version 4.3 Septebmer 11, 2002 45k
Tiny changes.
Version 4.4 December 22, 2004 49k
Clarified a few things.
Version 4.41 January 17, 2005 49k
Changed email addresses. Small changes to the format.
_______________________________________________________________________________
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
This Document is Copyright 2000-2005 by Dan Simpson and is intended SOLELY to
help people with little or no AD&D experience get by in oft confusing CRPGs.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, AD&D, and all related
marks are Trademarks, Registered Trademarks, or Copyrights owned by Wizards of
the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved.
This FAQ may be posted on any site so long as NOTHING IS CHANGED and you EMAIL
ME telling me that you are posting it. You may not charge for, or in any way
profit from this FAQ.